A South Korean intelligence officer attempted suicide on Saturday, marking another twist in the escalating spy scandal that has gripped the country in recent months.

Yu Woo-sung speaks at his home in Seoul on Sunday March 9, 2014.

Alastair Gale/The Wall Street Journal

The agent, identified only by his surname Kwon, was found unconscious in his car in a Seoul suburb, according to a fire department official, whose team first reached the site. Coal ash was found inside the car, in what appeared to be an attempt at carbon monoxide poisoning.

A spokesman for the National Intelligence Service on Monday confirmed Mr. Kwon’s suicide attempt and his hospitalization.

Advertisement

Mr. Kwon had been stationed at the South Korean Consulate in Shenyang in China’s northeast until he was recalled to Seoul recently. He has been under investigation by prosecutors for his possible involvement in falsifying evidence against a North Korean defector, according to South Korean news media.

Mr. Kwon’s suicide attempt is the second such incident this month involving the national spy agency. Another man employed by the agency has been hospitalized since early this month after a separate suicide attempt, though the NIS declined to say whether the attempt was linked to the man’s involvement in the case.

It was unclear whether Mr. Kwon had legal representation.

“We’re saddened by the news and are observing the situation,” said an agency spokesman.